Kudos ... a great new issue

Fantastic work from the new management and editorial team; Alpinist 29 is a gem. The articles on Mount Robson, and New Hampshire ice climbing are superb, and I have yet to get to the feature on the Stikine Icefield peaks! The short essays are superb as well ... "The Once and Future Messner," "Full Value," and "Escape Route."

Of course, as I read it I couldn't help but be reminded of early Fossil epics, especially as related to Robson. I was reminded of my own - way over my head - 1974 failed attempt on the Wishbone Arete, as well as Danny and Mark's escapade on the Kain face. Those were the days of no internet, no topos, crappy guides, no beta, and no internet chat rooms ... thus SNAFUS a plenty.

Ripping it with skinny skis!

At the end of last season, America's best sprinter and top nordic world cup point man, Andy Newell pulls out all the stops with two minutes of flips, helicopters, and a variety of half-pipe stunts. It is hard to believe that it is all done on very skinny nordic gear.

More Frigid Weather

The next couple of days are going to be quite cold. Brian and his family are in for a bit of a shock! This picture was taken after 50 minutes of doing laps on our ski hill ... the tracks are mine ... the skiing was awesome in spite of the -5 degree temperatures.

Quote of the Week

"CLIMB THE MOUNTAINS AND GET THEIR GOOD TIDINGS. NATURE'S PEACE WILL FLOW INTO YOU AS SUNSHINE FLOWS INTO TREES."

John Muir

The Winter Trilogy ... a classic alpine video

Fossils ... remember those days of dachstein mittens, and crazy colors (after the wool and earth tones of the 1970s)? Days without leashless tools, no wire gate carabiners, no turbo screws, and no helmets. Well even with these handicaps, hardmen climbed some amazing stuff, back in the day. This six part video (in nine minute sections) tells the story of Christophe Profit's (pronounced Pro-fee) amazing winter solo climbs of the three classic north faces of the alps. (Cick on the text to access Part 1.)

Filmed around March 1987 the solo winter ascent by Christophe Profit of the three classic north faces in the Alps. The Grande Jorrasses, Eiger and the Matterhorn (Cervin) north faces all climbed in under 48 hours ...!

The summer of 1985 was the year in which he enchained the trilogy of North Faces the Eiger, Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses (up the Shroud), in just 24 hours. He later repeated this feat in winter in under 48 hours (March 1987) by climbing the Croz Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, the Heckmair route on the Eiger North Face and the Schmid route on the Matterhorn solo in winter in a record 42 hours.

Sadly now no longer available this documentary film has been my motivation and climbing inspiration over the past 20 odd years. It was salvaged from some old VHS video tape onto DVD before being split and uploaded onto YouTube just a few weeks ago.

Traditional Christmas Day Ski

Avalanche Article

Someone passed along a link to this New York Times article from last year. Click on this text to access the article. Moreover, just cut and paste this address into your browser and watch the trailer for The Fine Line, a highly touted, avalanche education film. http://www.thecontentbay.com/special-interest/the-fine-line/ (You may also purchase it for a small fee.)

Merry Christmas

Of course the holiday season is mostly about family and friends, however ever since college, Christmas has also been closely connected to mountaineering for me. First, it is often a time when I have headed off to bag some peaks or do long pitches of ice climbing. (There were even those Christmas days in Manchester when I had my younger sister belay me on the Rock Rimmon crag.) Second, since my family, friends, and colleagues never seem to know what technical gear to get me, so they get me mountaineering books instead. (As you can see from the picture my collection has grown significantly this day ... thus my Fossil nickname ... The Historian.) Third, ever since my family has moved back to North Country School I have been in charge of hanging the Christmas stockings on the fireplace. This has always been accomplished by a variety of climbing gear placements, although - shame on me - as you can see I have not equalized my placements. (Although my anchor spans multiple climbing generations as it includes a lost arrow piton, an original hexcentric, and an alien.)

This Christmas with the wonders of the internet, Selden was able to find a host of obscure mountain related books.
1) David Brower, classic 1942 book, "Manual of Ski Mountaineering."
2) Trevor Braham's, "Himalayan Playground: Adventures on the roof of the world from 1942-1972."
3) Knut Haukelid: "Skis Against the Atom," a history of the Norwegian ski partisans who sabotaged the Nazi attempts to develop an atomic bomb.
4) Yuichiro Miura's "The Man Who Skied Down Everest," which for those that saw the full-length movie in the 1970s know that it was really about the man that fell down Everest.
5) The anthology "Peering Over The Edge: the philosophy of mountaineering," edited by Mikel Vause.
6) Marco Pallis and his book "Peaks and Llamas: a classic book on mountaineering, buddhism, and Tibet."
7) A murder mystery set on Mount Rainier by Ben Small called "Alibi on Ice."

Oh, and my brother and sister in-law, gave me a series of humorous German postcards from 1908 with a mountaineering setting. For those that have stayed in the Fossil Cabin you'll need to look at my climbing postcard collection ... it's quite extraordinary.

Video Trailer: Journey to the Source

Click on this text to watch an engaging snippet from the documentary "Skiing in the Shadow of Genghis Khan." The movie profiles the lives of people deep in the Altai Mountains of central Asia, who still build skis in the traditional way that they have been built for thousands of years.

The Yellow Bib

Just like in the Tour de France, so too on the World Cup ski circuit ... the overall leader wears a yellow bib. Of course, unlike cycling in biathlon this has never involved an American, that is up until now. As you can see in the picture Saranac Lake native Tim Burke, is now wearing the yellow bib, a first for an American. (As an aside, I remember him as a four year-old racing in the Bill Koch lollipop division.) Click on this text to access an interview with him.

Thin But In

Along with some of the routes we climbed - Parallel Gully, Crystal Ice Tower, and Necktie Party - many Adirondack classics like Multiplication Gully and Positive Thinking are climbable. The picture showing the first pitch of Positive Thinking was taken this past weekend.

Quote of the week

"DO NOTHING IN HASTE, LOOK WELL TO EACH STEP, AND FROM THE BEGINNING THINK WHAT MAY BE THE END."

In 1865 Edward Whymper made the first ascent of the Matterhorn, after which he wrote a superb book called "Scrambles Amongst the Alps." He closed this influential book with the famous line quoted above that is a reference to the tragic accident that happened in his descent of the Matterhorn. Of course, this wise counsel is applicable to almost all areas of human activity, not just mountaineering.

Video: ice screw placements

Now that the season has started, it is always good to remind ourselves, that ice gear is qualitatively different than a good piece of rock protection. This very short snippet covers a clear case of how you SHOULD NOT place your next ice piece on a desperate lead. Click on the text to access this video of Hock placing an anchor at the base of the first pitch of the Black Dike.

Another Fossil Trip

Today after a late start - we spent an hour trying to get Frank's car out of a drift - we skied up the Whiteface Toll Road. Frank and I skied about halfway up the road, gaining 1200' and stopping at the 3600 foot level. The forearms were pretty sore from climbing, and so it was nice to stretch out with some kick and gliding. We had great views, and the winds were moderate. All the Fossils and friends have scattered for the holiday; however I hope to see Brian after Christmas.

Excellent Day for the Fossils

The morning dawned cold and clear (-20 degrees), although the temperature rose quickly. By the time Larry, Dave, Hock, Gary, and Frank finished breakfast at the Noonmark, it was already in the teens. We started with Crystal Tower (NEI IV-) at Chapel Pond, and several folks also did the super thin, dry tooling variation to the right (NEI IV- M3). Then it was off to Parallel Gully (NEI III) and Necktie Party (NEI IV-) next to the summer rock route called Tilman's Arete, before we headed up to the Cascade Pass to do laps on Pitchoff Right. I climbed 8 pitches today. Finally, back to campus for rice and bean burritos, and then over to the cabin for Balvenie and Talisker. (Click on the images to enlarge the photographs.)

Wall Street Journal Article

With the Olympics on their way, even the mainstream media will start to cover things like biathlon and nordic skiing. (A nice respite from the incessant speculation on college bowl games, or the NFL play-offs.) Click on this text to access the article on which nation will be the best medal winner per capita!

Brutally cold but ...

The thermometer outside our house actually said -30 degrees! However, Fossils can cheer up, as tomorrow the temperatures will be in the low 20s.

Arctic Cold

This morning to celebrate the end-of-term I went for a 10K ski on the hilly Porter Mountain Loop. Conditions on the Olympic Trails were awesome, however as you can see from the picture, it was quite cold ... -5 degrees fahrenheit.

The NCS Tool of Choice

Watch this video of the Grivel Monster ice tools in action. They are lightweight, leashless, indestructible, and a natural swing ... our kids love 'em. Some great footage to get you pumped for the upcoming ice climbing season. Click on the text to access this nine minute video.

Quote of the week

A new blog feature, these quotes will most often be drawn from climbing literature, although occasionally other genres will provide deep insight into our mountain habits. Specifically, these will often be gems that I pull out of my tattered "little green book of quotes" that I used to carry around when I was teaching summer and winter Outward Bound courses. This week's quote comes from a T.S. Eliot poem:

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Video: the Gliere in Chamonix

Click on this link to access a nine minute video of a classic climb up the Aiguille de Gliere. In 2008 I climbed the route with Larry. Fantastically diverse climbing - up to 5.10a - topping out on a tiny summit, with spectacular views the entire way of the Mont Blanc range. A true classic.

Another Blast from The Past

A picture from the 1987 World team Trials. It was a good week of racing for me, but needless to say, I did not jeopardize Josh Thompson's spot on the team! He went on six weeks later to win a silver medal at the World Championships that were hosted by Lake Placid ... a performance that was just equalled last week by Tim Burke in Sweden. Here's hoping the USA Biathlon Team takes a medal in the upcoming Olympics.

NY Times Article on Bolivia

Of all the Andean countries, the highland cities and towns of Bolivia seem to be suffering the most from climate change. As the glaciers shrink more rapidly than predicted, fresh drinking water for the indigenous population is lacking. Click on this text to access this important article and slideshow.

How Fossils Got Their Name

Most people assume that El Presidente and his brethren are called Fossils because of their age, but actually it relates to the antiquated gear that we still manage to show up with occasionally. So, here you see a picture of my pack ready to go ice climbing today. It is the original Don Jensen design from Rivendell Mountain Works, circa 1973. It is a pain in the butt to pack, however once packed, it still gives one of the best rides out there! (Know that I carried its big brother up Denali with Mark in 1980, of course beware of overpacking and the busted zipper syndrome.)

Video: NCSers ski the Toll Road

One of our early season traditions - requiring only a few inches of snow - is to ski up the unplowed Toll Road up Whiteface. Often conditions in the last mile are abysmal and so most often we bail on the idea of tagging thesummit. Yesterday the conditions were fantastic, and we made a short video of our tour. Lucy is in the bright blue parka. Enjoy.

Cascade Lakes Climbs are In!

Yesterday after I skied up the Whiteface Toll Road I stopped by the pass to look at the ice climbs visible from the road. There were 8-10 cars, and it looked like folks were climbing: "Sisters," "Picthoff Left," "Pitchoff Right," and possibly the "Quarry." "Three Flows," looked pretty fat, however the lake is not viable as an approach route and so these climbs would necessitate a long bushwhack.

One of the fossils is suggesting the "Trap Dike" on Colden for next weekend's Icefest.
As always, just click on the images to enlarge the photographs.

Video: Nordic Skiing at NCS

We have had a horrific blizzard these past 48 hours. The snow has been welcome, indeed eagerly anticipated. However, the amazingly strong winds (60+ mph) which have blown down 50+ trees on our campus have not been so much fun. In fact, two really large trees fell on our house and did significant roof damage. However, as the storm started to taper off, spirits rose and I was out and about with our youngest ski team members. Other than the trees down across our trails, conditions are spectacular . enjoy this short video.

Kikkan Randall Makes the NY Times

It is pretty rare for the newspaper of record to be covering nordic skiing! Kikkan who won a medal in last year's World Championships, and is one of America's best bets to win a nordic medal, got some great coverage in the Times today. She has some important world cup races this weekend in Davos. Click on the link to access the text of the NY Times article.

Duesseldorf Nordic Sprints

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This high octane World Cup race, played to a hard driving sound track is an awesome 3 minute video of the men's sprint finals. Of course, you can also watch the associated "crashes of Duesseldorf." This is guaranteed to get you off the couch and grabbing for your poles, boots, and boards! Click on this text to access this YouTube site

Mark Turns 61

El Presidente is about to turn 61. Give him a call and ask if he feels any older! These pictures were taken over 30 years ago, post Denali, Washington Column, and the direct finish to the Guide's Wall. As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.

Former Students Check In

The Gould Academy Nordic Team has been practicing at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire (among other places). We have three NCS alumni on their team, and a couple alumni on the Proctor Academy Team.

Winter Is Here

It was below freezing all day, and we had snow flurries off and on as well. This short video snippet is of me diagonal striding on a short figure-eight loop so I can warm up and work on my skate turns. I did a nice 40 minute easy distance workout, just kick and gliding around the golf course. The soundtrack is Jimmy Hendrix. On some related notes, our nordic team will be on skis tomorrow and Larry plans to take some students ice climbing on Thursday.

Holidays are Coming

While I was in Chicago my family got a Christmas tree, which we decorated yesterday. There is still much to do to get ready for the upcoming holidays, including the hanging of the stockings on the fireplace using small "tcu" and "alien" cams. Notice the close-up of one of my favorite ornaments ... the tele-dude. (As always click on the images to enlarge the photograph.)

Black Diamond Journal

They have a regular feature that is quite interesting called the QC Lab, where they do tests on stuff that they see people doing on their local crags. Very informative, pretty technical, and if you click on this text, it will transfer you to the testing of sling strength in three different anchor configurations. Climb safely.

Nordic Sports Have Their Best Weekend Ever

I am not sure they keep track of these things, as various bodies govern the different disciplines, however I think more nordic world cup points were scored this weekend than ever before! Tim Burke (pictured) finished second in the 20K biathlon and third in the 10K biathlon sprint. Newell placed seventh in the men's sprint, and he teamed with Koos to finish sixth in the sprint relay. Spillane finished fourth and reigning world champion Demong finished eighth in the nordic combined world cup. Finally, our best female sprinter Randall finished 28th earning world cup points despite a fall in that short event. It seems like Team USA is positioning itself for some medals in the Olympics. Click on this text to read an interview with Tim Burke.

The Ice Is Forming

I got back from Chicago late last night, and I just came in from a gritty and scratchy 40 minute ski on the local golf course. I drove down to Cascade Lakes and can report that the first party of the season had their tools out and were top roping 'Pitchoff Right." As you can see from the iPhone weather application, night time lows are going to be well below freezing, and day-time highs will only go slightly above freezing .. perfect freeze-thaw cycles to build up the ice climbs. Oh, and for all you fossils, the sauna will be ready for the ice climbing weekend. Sharpen you crampons and ice tools.

Heading Out To Barn Chores

The Hochschartner women are dressed in matching Carhartt outfits ... time to feed the cows, sheep, and chickens, not to mention grooming Birch the horse.

Lucy's First Nordic Ski of the Season

The snow is fading fast so I took Lucy for a 30 minute ski over on the Olympic trails, on waxless skis. Conditions were scratchy and slow, but being on snow is a treat. We skied about 4K.

Video: the ice season has started

Click on this text to watch a short video of Mark Synnott dry-tooling to a steep ice finish in New Hampshire. Clearly a specialists climb ... nomics, bolted pro, mono-points, and special boots ... still gets you pumped for the coming season.

Ice Is Forming

As you can see from my iPhone screen capture, temperatures are dropping and I anticipate that this weekend will see the start of the ice climbing season. Reserve a spot at the cabin ... December 18-22.

NPR: interview with Kikkan Randall

Click on this text to access a short interview with Kikkan. She continues to have an outstanding start to the 2009-2010 Nordic World Cup season. As a sprinter, her 18th place in the recent 10K in Kuusamo Finland was quite a fine showing. She is a genuine medal threat in the Olympic sprints!

Olympic Nordic Trails Have Been Rolled

I suggest caution on the downhills as you will probably be dodging rocks, and so I stuck to the flats. Excellent skating conditions, but still rock skis only. I had a great 10K workout.

Summer Trip ... Tetons as an option?

I imagine that with 10 days we might be able to do the following: warmups on Baxter Pinnacle and Symmetry Spire, the East Ridge of the Grand Teton, and the Cathedral Traverse. As per the pros and cons ... one of the best pros is a committed partner, and Larry is one of the best, add to that good weather, AAC Climber's Ranch, and easy air travel access. On the cons side are long walks in and out, and a lack of snow and mixed routes. Still, a pretty appealing alpine vacation!

One of the enclosed pictures shows a climber on the summit of Teewinot looking over at Owens and the Grand Teton. The other picture shows the East Ridge (and easier Koven route) on Owens, and the ridge over to Gunsight Notch, the Grandstand (fabulous bivvy spot), and the North Ridge of the Grand ... The Cathedral Traverse.